Volunteer Agencies Assist With Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts 

Release Date: September 21, 2005
Release Number: 1604-028

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina

Jackson, MS - Mississippi residents who suffered losses as a result of Hurricane Katrina and still have serious unmet needs may find help through a host of volunteer groups coordinated by a Long-Term Recovery Committee that will be working long after the initial disaster response is concluded.

Bill Carwile, federal coordinating officer for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Mississippi, said the group is composed of a number of volunteer response organizations to assist affected families in developing a plan to access the resources needed for their recovery.

"While the public is well aware of the vital role the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army play in providing emergency aid during a disaster, people often don't realize that these organizations and other groups continue to provide help long after the emergency phase has passed," Carwile said.

Volunteer groups include faith-based and other organizations that provide a structure to make it possible to access appropriate agencies simultaneously and to benefit from an array of solutions to individual problems

.

The committee plan was born 34 years ago following Mississippi's devastating Hurricane Camille. Representatives of organizations that make up that is called the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), have met together annually since l971. The primary goal of the group, that is also the keystone of a long-term recovery effort, is to increase cooperation, coordination, communication and education.

The following volunteer groups and state agencies participating in the current Mississippi disaster illustrate the scope of this united volunteer effort. Telephone contact numbers are included.

Mississippi VOAD/ARC (601-506-0699)
United Way/HI VOAD, (601-359-3600)
United Way-Capital Area (601-352-4357)
Gateway Rescue Mission (601-353-5864)
UMCOR (United Methodist Conference), (662-541-5900)
UMCOR MS Conference (United Methodist Conference), (601-502-4584 or 601-354-0515)
Americorp St.Louis (dcc mema@yahoo.com)
Henry S. Jacobs Camp (601-885-6042)
MS Development Authority (601-359-6677)
Great River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (505-563-5063)
Good Samaritan Center (601-355-6276)
FEMA VAL (601-519-2040)
MS Commission for Volunteer Services (601-432-6464)
Catholic Charities (601-328-3714, 601-355-8634)
Children's Defense Fund, Southern Region (601-321-1966)
Mission Mississippi (601-353-6477)
American Red Cross (601-209-1721)

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Oct-2005 06:40:17